August 7 through August 14th Began this morning with a bowl of yogurt and a copious pour of raspberry-rhubarb birch syrup brought to me by a friend who just returned from Alaska. Apparently they use this brooding, deeply complex elixir, instead of honey, in many ways. Birch syrup is a unique flavor from Alaska's forests and is apparently quite rare. It takes an average of 100 gallons of sap from paper birch trees to make 1 gallon of birch syrup (www.alaskabirchsyrup.com).

Great french fries at the Hotel Kitano jazz club where we heard the remarkable saxophonist Ted Nash and his quartet the other night. The burgers looked good, too -- and so did the drummer! Ted Nash, is one of the country's top jazz musicians -- we met him a few weeks ago in Ravello when he was traveling with Wynton Marsalis.

I finally went to the Park Slope Food Co-op! It's considered one of the best in the country and it's only a few blocks from my house. Purple okra, bouquets of perky basil, wild fennel, and watermelon with seeds!

Fabulous dinner at ilili-- a very sophisticated Lebanese restaurant (Fifth Avenue and 28th St.) -- whose chef, Philippe Massoud is becoming a rock star. Begin with a table full of cold mezze (the best labneh!) and follow with a round of hot mezze, (and fried sweetbreads!) and savory pancake "sliders." Baskets full of warm, homemade, ultra-thin pita. Great pounded raw meat (kibbeh naya) that you place on the pita with a slice of onion, jalapeno and fresh mint!

An amazing tasting dinner at Eddie Schoenfeld's new restaurant Red Farm in the West Village. The bbq'd Filet Mignon Tart with curried vegetables & frizzled ginger was one of the best "first tastes" I've ever had! Also great? Kumamoto oysters wtih meyer lemon-yuzu ice, grilled vegetable salad with artichoke-bean curd dip and amazing homemade "crackers," and shu mai shooters, with carrot-ginger juice and fresh morels!

A great lunch, on one of New York's most beautiful afternoons, at Mario Batali's La Birreria on the rooftop of Eataly! Sat outdoors and chomped down on a terrific sausage of pork and beef, flavored with coriander, a kind of half-cured chunky kraut, and a fabulous dish of maiitake mushrooms with asparagus and peas. I can't wait to go back.

A morning snack of Sicilian pesto (made with almonds, tomato, very good garlic, and basil) at Arthur Schwartz's house, followed by one of the year's best caponata's (check it out in Arthur's book "The Southern Italian Table"), eaten on crusty loaves of grain bread from Orwashers. I used to buy Orwasher's bread for Mayor Ed Koch when I was the chef at Gracie Mansion -- in 1978! A peach so good at Union Square Market that several people stopped me, as the juices were running down my arm, to ask me where I got it. I think they were from Breezy Hill Orchards.

You can pretty much get everything on this plate at your local farmer's market. After all, there are only 9 ingredients that make up this eternally spring meal. Although it's a bit gray and rainy today, I am off to the Union Square Market, the heart and soul of the city, to get the ingredients for tonight's dinner. This image, from one of my earlier books, Recipes 1-2-3 Menu Cookbook (published in 1998), is attention-getting as it is stunning in its simplicity and restraint. The three simple recipes include tender lamb chops under a "crust" of goat cheese and rosemary; a slow-cooked tomato layered with red onion "napoleon-style," and stir-fried watercress with garlic chips. Only today, 14 years later when pea shoots are now the veg du jour, I may substitute them for the watercress in this recipe. I may also, instead of the rosemary, use fresh lavender -- just a bit -- as my husband really likes it. It is an unforgiving herb, however, as a little too much is...a little too much. Goat cheese and lavender have great affinity and my husband often stuffs it under the skin of a large chicken and roasts it to perfection. This menu brings great rewards for modest amounts of effort. Open an unexpected bottle of Domaine Clavel's Les Garrigues, a blend of syrah and grenache noir from the Languedoc, or choose a flowery Beaujolais like Chiroubles. Check in later for dessert. I will see what's new and exciting at the market this morning! One of life's simple pleasures is checking out what's on nature's agenda each week. Enjoy!

Lamb Chops with Goat Cheese & Rosemary 8 thick rib lamb chops 6 ounces fresh goat cheese 3 tablespoons finely snipped fresh rosemary or lavender

"French" the chops, cutting all meat from the bones to the "eye" of the chops; or leave them as they are. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix goat cheese with 2 tablespoons rosemary or lavender. Season chops with salt and pepper and steak in a large nonstick skillet until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Pack approximately 1-1/2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on one side of each chop to cover completely. Place chops in oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until desired doneness, but still rare in the center. You may brown the cheese for 30 seconds under the broiler. Scatter remaining herbs on top. Serves 4 "Short-Stack" Tomatoes and Onions These can be made ahead of time and reheated for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

4 medium-large ripe tomatoes, about 1-1/2 pounds 2 large red onions 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice 1/4-inch from top and bottom of each tomato. Cut each tomato into 3 thick slices. Re-assemble each to look like whole tomato. Peel onions and slice 1/4-inch thick. Layer thicker onions between tomato slices, ending on top with a thin slice of onion. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over each and season with salt and pepper. Place a short skewer in center of each stack to help hold together. Place in shallow baking pan and bake 1-1/4 hours. Baste with pan juice twice. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes. Carefully transfer to plates and spoon pan juices on top. Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serves 4

Watercress (or Pea Shoots) Saute with Garlic Chips

3 large bunches watercress or 12 ounces pea shoots 4 large garlic cloves 3 tablespoons olive oil

Remove woody stems from watercress. Peel garlic and slice paper thin, lengthwise. Heat oil in a large skillet until hot. Add garlic, cook 15 seconds until crisp, then immediately remove. Add watercress or pea shoots. Cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted. Stir in garlic chips and salt to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 4